PAKISTAN/INDIA: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BLAIR ARRIVES IN ISLAMABAD FOR TALKS WITH PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF AMIDST ESCALATING BORDER TENSION WITH INDIA

Record ID: 639566

  • Title: PAKISTAN/INDIA: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BLAIR ARRIVES IN ISLAMABAD FOR TALKS WITH PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF AMIDST ESCALATING BORDER TENSION WITH INDIA
  • Date: 7th January 2002
  • Summary: (U3) CHAKLALA AIRBASE, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (JANUARY 7, 2002) (REUTERS) MV: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR ARRIVES IN A MILITARY PLANE, ROYAL AIRFORCE HERCULES C-130 SV: POLICE SECURITY SV: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR COMES OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH WIFE CHERIE / BLAIR SHAKES HANDS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ABDUL SATTAR PULL OUT: BLAIRS RECEIVE A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS EACH SV: BLAIR GREETS WALKS ALONG A RED CARPET / SHAKES HANDS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ABDUL SATTAR /GROUP CONTINUE WALKING SV: BLAIR GETS INTO A CAR TAKING HIM INTO ISLAMABAD CLOSE OF BLAIR AND WIFE CHERIE IN CAR AS IT LEAVES (W4) ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (JANUARY 7, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SECURITY ON STREETS OF ISLAMBAD (5 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CHAKLALA AIRBASE, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN /NEW DELHI, INDIA
  • City:
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAMXF84P69YQZXTOQ9UIPD0ZD7
  • Story Text: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has arrived in the Pakistan capital, Islamabad, for talks with President Pervez Musharraf amidst escalating border tension with India.
    India and Pakistani forces clashed on their border as Blair wrapped up his visit to India meeting with president K.R. Narayanan.
    British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Pakistan on Monday (January 7) for talks with President Pervez Musharraf on the military crisis gripping the region.
    Blair was to make a brief visit to Pakistan after talks in New Delhi with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who Blair said was willing to talk with Pakistan if it rejected terrorism in all its forms.
    Security in the Pakistan capital Islamabad was tight at a time when India and Pakistan, long-time foes, are massing their forces along the border in what is considered one of their most dangerous build-ups since independence in 1947.
    They have fought three wars since then, two over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
    India said on Sunday its troops had fired on an unmanned Pakistani spy plane which crossed the ceasefire line into its territory, but Pakistan immediately denied this, saying instead India had lost one of its own spy planes.
    British Prime Minister Tony Blair hosted a Coalition Information Service press conference, at which he said the campaign in Afghanistan was not yet over.
    "The campaign remains in place to make sure that all our objectives are secure and that includes tracking down those responsible for the terrorism in Afghanistan. So until that is done, our mission is not complete, there is no doubt about that at all," he said.
    On the third and final day of their visit to India, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Mahatma Gandhi.
    Gandhi, respected across the world for his non-violent movement against British-rule in India, fell victim to an assassin's bullet after India gained independence in 1947.
    His mausoleum at Rajghat in New Delhi has now become a standard stop on the itinerary for foreign dignitaries visiting India.
    Blair and his wife walked around the mausoleum and paid their respects by offering flowers.
    Later, the Blairs met Indian President K.R.Narayanan at his presidential palace in New Delhi.
    After meeting President Narayanan, Blair departed for Pakistan.
    After a meeting with prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Sunday (January 6) Prime Minister Tony Blair had said he believed India was ready to engage in a "meaningful dialogue"
    with Pakistan over Kashmir if Islamabad rejected terrorism in all its forms.
    Blair said at a news conference in New Delhi on Sunday (January 6) that there could be no half measures in stamping out terror, and urged Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf to act against extremists and engage in talks with India.
    Relations between India and Pakistan -- both nuclear-armed nations -- have nose-dived since an attack on the Indian parliament on December 13 in which 14 people were killed.
    New Delhi blames the attack on two Pakistan-based militant groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir.
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